Candidate vaccine against MERS passes first test

In collaboration with colleagues in Rotterdam, an LMU research team led by Professor Gerd Sutter has produced the first candidate vaccine against the MERS virus, a novel and highly pathogenic coronavirus. Last autumn, health authorities were alarmed by reports of the isolation of a previously unknown and highly virulent coronavirus from humans. The strain causes an acute respiratory syndrome and induces severe, and often fatal, lung damage. All 108 confirmed infections, including those identified in Germany and other parts of Europe, involved patients from the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East. Hence, the virus responsible has been named “Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV)”. The virus is thought to have merged from an animal reservoir, but its primary source has yet to be discovered. Nevertheless, it is clear that MERS-CoV has acquired the capacity for person-to-person transmission, as relatives of the victims, as well as some hospital personnel, have been infected...